The most common computer based digital image management methods have relied on hierarchical storage systems, wherein images are treated as files that exist in directories or folders, which are then contained in other directories. Search functions have required users to remember file and directory names. When the archive size is large, this method is difficult for most people.
Several methods have been used to improve the effectiveness of searching for specific images in a large hierarchical archive. Some rely on providing low resolution, or “thumbnail” previews of individual files or folders. Others rely on users to create and input key words that are tagged onto individual images. A search process using the key words can then be executed. Another method that has been proposed is to utilize image recognition techniques to identify key elements of each image. The elements are correlated to a set of key words, and a search process using the key words can then be executed.
All of these approaches seem more directed toward the convenience of the machine archiving the images (hardware and software), rather than toward the convenience of the user. None of them take full advantage of the extraordinary human facility for recognizing and manipulating images. A system and method that employs advanced visualization techniques to enable users to archive and retrieve images in a more natural fashion would therefore be highly desirable.